Hélène Bouvier

Who was Hélène Bouvier?

Hélène Bouvier was a French operatic mezzo-soprano, particularly associated with the French repertoire.

She studied at the Paris Conservatory and made her debut in Nantes in the title role of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, in 1930. She then left for Argentina where she sang at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.

Back in France, she made her debut at both the Palais Garnier and the Opéra-Comique during the 1938-39 season, where she quickly established herself in roles such as Carmen, Dalila, Charlotte, Geneviève, the mother in Louise, etc.

She made guest appearances at La Scala in Milan, La Monnaie in Brussels, the Monte Carlo Opera, also appearing in Dresden and Leipzig, the Holland Festival, and again at the Teatro Colón from 1949 until 1965.

She took part in the creation of contemporary works, notably Maurice Duruflé's Requiem and Darius Milhaud's Bolivar. She was also admired in Arthur Honegger's Antigone and Carl Orff's Oedipus Rex.

She retired from the stage in 1967 and taught in Paris.